1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the chiropractic adjustment of musculoskeletal structures, and more particularly concerns an improved chiropractic adjusting instrument for use in spinal manipulative therapy. The present invention is a further refinement of the improved instrument described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,615, issued May 6, 1997 of which applicant of the present invention is a co-inventor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The chiropractic art is generally concerned with adjusting misaligned body structures by manually manipulating the various joints in the human body. Of more specific interest in the art, however, is the spinal column which is comprised of several interconnected musculoskeletal structures or vertebrae. Unlike other, less critical body structures, the spinal column must be treated or manipulated with extreme caution because of its link with the central nervous system.
The human spine is susceptible to many different pathologic abnormalities including misalignment, miscellaneous trauma and pain, and degeneration as a result of age or disease. By employing various physical therapy techniques, though, a chiropractor, or one skilled in the chiropractic art, one may be able to successfully treat a pathologic spine. Successful treatment will not only relieve any pain or discomfort that the patient might be suffering, but will also improve the overall quality of life of that patient.
One common spinal-adjustment technique involves applying thrusts or forces to the afflicted region of the spine. In particular, this technique involves either xe2x80x9cmobilizingxe2x80x9d the spine (i.e. passively moving the spine with relatively slow cyclic or oscillatory motion), or xe2x80x9cmanipulatingxe2x80x9d the spine (i.e. applying an impulsive thrust or force in a well-defined direction to a specific region of the spine). Depending on professional affiliations, this technique is referred to as chiropractic adjustment, osteopathic manipulation, orthopedic manual therapy, and/or spinal manipulative therapy.
There are several well known procedures or techniques for xe2x80x9cmanipulatingxe2x80x9d or administering impulsive thrusts to a spine. One technique involves applying one or more rapid thumb thrusts to misaligned or afflicted vertebrae. Thumb thrusts, however, tend to be both imprecise in magnitude and location and tiresome to administer. Another technique involves using a manually operated chiropractic adjusting instrument. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,235, issued to Fuhr et al. (xe2x80x9cFuhrxe2x80x9d) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,464, issued to Morgan, Jr., disclose such instruments.
The Fuhr device, in particular, is a manually operated, spring-loaded device for delivering an impact force or thrust to a patient""s spine at a rapid speed and in a precise line of drive. Further, although the magnitude of the impact force delivered by the Fuhr device is adjustable, the frequency at which the impact force is delivered is completely arbitrary. As such, the Fuhr device is not mechanically xe2x80x9ctunedxe2x80x9d to any particular frequency.
The ability to xe2x80x9ctunexe2x80x9d a chiropractic adjusting instrument to a desired frequency, though, offers the chiropractic clinician several significant advantages over the prior art. For instance, a chiropractic adjusting instrument that is xe2x80x9ctunedxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ctunablexe2x80x9d to the natural frequency of a human spine maximizes the dynamic motion response of the spine while, at the same time, minimize the magnitude of the requisite impact force. Such a chiropractic adjusting instrument not only enhances the overall effectiveness of spinal manipulative therapy, but would also decrease the possibility of damage to the vertebrae during such treatment. The instrument described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,615 does provide such an instrument which is xe2x80x9ctunablexe2x80x9d within a broad range of frequencies. As a practical matter, however, it is desirable to have an instrument which may be easily set or settable to the most commonly used and effective frequencies.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved chiropractic adjusting instrument which is xe2x80x9ctunablexe2x80x9d to and settable to a preselected number of desired frequencies within the optional range of natural frequency.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved chiropractic adjusting instrument which is xe2x80x9ctunablexe2x80x9d or settable to the natural frequency of a musculoskeletal structure and may be easily resettable to a selected number of frequencies with a range of suitable frequencies.
An even more specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved chiropractic adjusting instrument which is xe2x80x9ctunablexe2x80x9d to the natural frequency of a human spine or a selected number of different frequencies or a range of thrusts.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved chiropractic adjusting instrument of the foregoing type which is reliable, precise, and convenient to use and readily and reliably resettable.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description of a preferred exemplified embodiment of the invention, and upon reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: